On Base: Beat L.A.!

“I need to warm up,” says the blond woman to her friend in the garage where media, VIPs and other hangers on enter Mission Creek Ballpark. I ask if I can take her picture. She doesn’t respond. I ask again; she ignores me again. What’s the big deal? As she prepares for another pitch, I ask a third time. She hesitates, then nods, looking at me strangely. I think she’s a student. Only when she is introduced to the crowd as supermodel Marisa Miller do I get it. She opens the game with a perfect strike.

Two: Plan C

With lead-off batter and center fielder Andres Torres out for the rest of the regular season, manager Bruce Bochy faces the fiendishly difficult task of trying to replace him. Sunday he went with Aaron Rowand, who was lead-off hitter and center fielder when the year began. Last night he tried newcomer Cody Ross. Tonight he’s trying an old newcomer, Eugenio Velez, who is lucky to be alive, let alone playing major league baseball. READ MORE HERE.